1986/01/16 Rush: Power Windows

1/16/1986 - Rush:  Power Windows Tour - The Summit, Houston Texas

This was the concert.  This was the concert that turned me into a rabid Rush fan.  To this day I still like Power Windows more than the typical Rush fan from my day because the typical Rush fan from my day cut their teeth on "Moving Pictures".  I was always late to the game when it came to music.  Took my cues from Chuck - he seemed to know what he was doing.  I think Fred wasn't too big of a Power Windows fan but I eventually turned him.  I can recall wondering why everyone was cheering when, during the bridge of "The Manhattan Project" they showed nuclear explosions on screen.  I thought that strange.  Still do.  It makes no sense.  It is a somber sort of thing.  Still, great show.

1/26/1994 - Rush: Counterparts Tour

This was the final Rush concert I ever attended.  I think I went to this one with my brother-in-law Matt.  Rush always put on a great show - consummate professionals - no shenanigans.  IIRC, Matt, his friends and I went to wait by the buses to try to catch the band as they were leaving the Summit  This is something that in all of my concert going days I had never tried but had seen depicted with remarkably successful results in many "coming-of-age" teenager movies.  I can't recall how long we waited but it yielded not even a glimpse.  It occurred to me later that even in failure the attempt was more interesting than sitting in the ubiquitous post-concert traffic jam attempting to get out of the Summit.

2/18/1992 - Rush: Roll the Bones Tour

Every two years Rush came to town like clockwork.  You knew to when to expect them and, by golly, you did NOT miss.  I am fuzzy on the details on this one.  This was the fourth consecutive Rush concert I had attended which, I realize, is nothing in terms of begin a Rush fan.  But it is also true that they all start blending together after a while.

2/26/1990 - Rush: Presto Tour

Yet another Rush concert.  Nothing stands out about Presto that I can recall.  I wonder who I went to this show with because this was long enough after high school that I was not running with the old concert crowd (Chuck, Fred, Mike, etc).  Must have gone with some guys at work.

1/29/1988 - Rush: Hold Your Fire Tour

I recall thinking that the concert came off as formulaic and "Business-like".  They did the set, they walked off, waited about 20 seconds and came back out an did an encore, walked off again and the lights immediately turned on.  "We're done here guys, go home."

1986 - Hitting my Stride

1/11/1986 - Thrill Show and Destruction Derby - Houston Astrodome, Houston Texas
First and only monster truck show I ever attended.  We went because my buddy Chuck had a friend named Jared that thought it would be a good idea.  Jared was a funny guy.  We went, had a good time.  I recall that at one point they dragged an old Dodge Charger onto the field, hoisted it up in the air with a large crane and dropped it on its grill from 100 feet or something.  It was traumatic - Jared was an automotive enthusiast so he fueled our shared indignation to the point I am horrified by this act to this day.  No, not really.  But I do have a special place in my heart for Dodge Chargers as my dad had one when we were growing up on the farm in Pennsylvania.

1/16/1986 - Rush:  Power Windows Tour - The Summit, Houston Texas
This was the concert.  This was the concert that turned me into a rabid Rush fan.  To this day I still like Power Windows more than the typical Rush fan from my day because the typical Rush fan from my day cut their teeth on "Moving Pictures".  I was always late to the game when it came to music.  Took my cues from Chuck - he seemed to know what he was doing.  I think Fred wasn't too big of a Power Windows fan but I eventually turned him.  I can recall wondering why everyone was cheering when, during the bridge of "The Manhattan Project" they showed nuclear explosions on screen.  I thought that strange.  Still do.  It makes no sense.  It is a somber sort of thing.  Still, great show.

2/21/1986 - Done With Mirrors Tour - Aerosmith - The Summit, Houston Texas
Done with Mirrors was Aerosmith's "come back album" - reuniting the original band lineup.  Yet another, "holy crap, this song is GREAT" evening for me.  I listened to a lot of Aerosmith after this concert.  But nothing stands out in my head about this one.

6/20/1986 - True Confessions Tour:  Bob Dylan and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Southern Star Amphitheater, Houston Texas
Petty was great, I endured Bob Dylan.  Not much of a Dylan fan but you know - any musician has to have a ton of respect for him.

9/21/1986  The Moody Blues - Long Distance Voyager
Apparently the Fixx opened for them - which I saw on a helpful website.  I do not recall much from this show - probably because I didn't know much about TMB at that time.  I did listen to LDV a lot afterwards and to this day I enjoy that album.

9/27/1986  Loving Feelings Tour - Chuck Berry, The Turtles, etc- The Summit, Houston Texas
Yeah, yeah, WTF, right?  My buddy's (Chuck) mother, Fran wanted to go.  We thought it might be fun.  I recall Chuck Berry coming on stage an demanding that the video screens be turned off or he would leave the stage.  The event organizers complied, he performed, but it was a big buzz kill.  I also recall the Turtles making asses of themselves and making fun of Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water" in the process.  Looking back on it they were going for wacky and entertaining - they failed.  But hey, at least they tried.  Years later I would have the youth band at my church cover "Happy Together" so I guess their effort on 9/27/1986 wasn't totally lost.

10/31/1986 - .38 Special:  Strength in Numbers Tour - The Summit, Houston Texas
I don't recall much about this one.  I never bought this album so until they got the "classics" part of the show I was bored.

11/21/1986  Triumph - Sport of Kings Tour - The Summit, Houston Texas
I thought the world of Triumph back then.  Just about the perfect late 80s arena rock band:  Canadian power trio, stratospheric lead vocals, songs with acoustic intros that exploded into something bigger ... It bugged me that I never got to see them for the Thunder Seven Tour so this was a consolation prize.  They were on the other side of their fame at this point.